Cashner brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but it was broken up on a out-out bloop single by Rajai Davis. The 27-year-old right-hander struck out a career-high 11 batters and walked a pair in the victory. He was as efficient as can be, throwing 70 out of 108 pitches for strikes while inducing 13 ground balls. Oh, and the cherry on top? He struck out Miguel Cabrera swinging to end the ballgame.

This was actually Cashner’s second career one-hit shutout. He also had one against the Pirates last September 13. One of these days, Padres fans. One of these days.

Cashner posted a 3.09 ERA and 128/47 K/BB ratio over 175 innings last season and the Padres are looking for him to be their ace this year. With a 1.29 ERA through his first three outings, he’s off to a pretty good start.

Yes, but let us not overlook another feelgood story, and this one closer to home (actually, in home): Dustin McGowan’s first win in six years. Like Sizemore, this kid fought his way back through what must have seemed to him like an undending series of injuries. He persisted through three more years of pain than Sizemore. As far as I am concerned he is already the comeback player of the year. It will be great if he can help the Jays fight their way back to respectability this season.

Gator, if you’re out there, tough night for Fernandez. Your Feesh seem to have suddenly fallen off the table. By the way, it’s good to see the strange attractor back after two seasons it was mostly irrelevant. How much further do you think the Marlins have to fall now?

PS – where on Earth (or in the ocean might be better) did sewerbear come up with the idea that you were some kind of icthyologist or marine biologist? I understood that you were a retired English professor.

For US readers who are wondering about the above screen name, the “Group of Seven” were a group of Canadian painters (primarily landscapes) who dominated the Canadian painting scene between the 2 World Wars.

cur'68 - Apr 12, 2014 at 9:54 AM

And were pretty damn good, too.

raysfan1 - Apr 12, 2014 at 10:41 AM

Huh, I thought it referred to the seven samurai.

Professor Fate - Apr 12, 2014 at 11:19 AM

And I thought it might be a Ukrainian getting a poke in at Putin for Russia being tossed out of the G8.

Old Gator - Apr 12, 2014 at 11:29 AM

Lawren Harris is my favorite of them (as Takashi Shimura as Shimada was my favorite of seven samurai – of course). Speaking of which, many of Harris’ arctic landscapes look very much like the classic Japanese woodblock prints of Hiroshige or Hokusai. I prolly ought to do a little googling to see if Harris was interested in classic Japanese prints and whether he ever said anything about them.

@groupofseven: damned if I could figure out how sewerbear came to that conclusion. For all we know he hears voices in his head whispering marine biologist, marine biologist, marine biologist. You were right though – a retired (or “semi-retired” would be more accurate) English professor is what I am. Now you would think that someone who was not a complete idiot would think to ask, “Is you is, or is you ain’t, a marine biologist” first.

However, as you pointed out a couple of days ago, we’re not achcherley dealing with a very rational, nor bright, individual here. We’re dealing with a nitwit who leaves his red rubber nose in a glass of Polydent overnight and then puts it on first thing in the morning before he comes on here honking his digital Harpo horn to accuse someone he knows nothing about of being a pederast and a pervert, then gets offended at having himself classified as urban trash sight unseen based, much more reliably, on his language and behavior. But I can tell that you’ve had professional experience with pathological inferiority complexes like his before anyway.

happytwinsfan - Apr 12, 2014 at 1:35 PM

a tip for vivabear or whoever needs it, never say something to somebody in a post that you would be embarrassed to say to them in person.

historiophiliac - Apr 12, 2014 at 3:14 PM

I had no idea Mounties could paint. Do they include a little brush in your Canadian Army Knife?

nbjays - Apr 12, 2014 at 3:38 PM

Yes, Historio, there’s a little paint brush, a sharp knife for seal skinning, an auger to bore a hole in a sugar maple, a big blade for making igloos and a can opener for those terrible times when the severe cold makes the tab snap off your beer can without opening it.

Grady Sizemore is really starting to become a great comeback story. The only thing the Red Sox have missed about Jacoby is his speed. Although he has started the season on fire, Sizemore has also been a stud in center field and at the plate. Gotta give that guy all the respect in the world.

Fun but frustrating game for the Nats last night – they came back but couldn’t hold it, with their best pen arm for the situation unavailable due to going 3 1/3 a few days ago when Zimmermann had to leave a game early. You’d think they’d learn not to use Clippard in a close game against the Braves by now, as they pretty thoroughly have his number, but Williams seems too set on relievers having designated roles no matter what so far, which is disappointing.

The number of Nats-Braves games decided by one run that the Braves have won since 2013 is pretty amazingly high.

A nice game’s work by Adrian Gonzalez (5 RBI) and good to see Hyun-Jin Ryu get back on track (7 IP, 2 hits, 8 Ks). Hanley Ramirez and Gonzalez (3 and 4 in BO) went a combined 6 of 8 with all 6 RBI and 4 runs scored. First game back at Chase Field since the pool controversy. D’backs are 1-6 at home to start the season.

Bugs throws futile temper tantrums a lot like sewebear in this one too, incidentally.

Unfortunately the young gun had hisself a baaaad night. His control was way orf and he was consistently up – walked four, which is pretty bad for him. I understand it was his worst single-game ERA performance of his sproutly career.

Not much more to say about the Feesh’s nosedive here except that today is a tough one because I’m shopping for Passover dinner on Monday night and da wife and I are prepping the dining room for the first evening seder. Naturally, we have no idea where we put the Haggadahs after last year’s seder so we also have to turn the house inside out (after checking that Friendo is still in his terrarium) for those little books. Be back later this afternoon or early evening. You orf today or still slogging the graveyard shift?

Friday was definitely the low point of the season for the Red Birds, who wasted another fine pitching performance, this time by Joe Kelly.

What we know about St. Louis so far in 2014:

Al Hrabosky and Dan McClaughlen are actually getting worse. It doesn’t matter what happens on the field, they will pigeon hole said action into their own narrative.

Mike Matheny won’t be making traditional decisions. Sometimes they will work, and sometimes they won’t.

Matt Carpenter might be better suited out of the #1 hole. Yes his OBP is solid, but he is becoming a more and more passive hitter, and might be more effective in the #3 hole, and it would balance out the line-up more.

Kolten Wong is primarily a pull hitter, would be advisable to see him try to go up the middle or to left more often, and while he has impressed with his range, he isn’t always sure-handed.

Matt Holliday is even more of a liability in left. He plays so deep that lefties who bloop balls to left are certain of hits, as was painfully evident Friday. Plus he is a DP machine. If he doesn’t produce offensively he hurts the club.

Matt Adams, has improved his opposite field stroke, but while excelling to some degree hasn’t homered yet in 2013.

Yadi Molina, just the opposite, and needs to balance his HRs with drives to right.

Allen Craig. Lost. Hope he snaps out of it soon, but currently is feeble at the dish.

Jhonny Peralta, two hits to date, both homers. But the most discouraging sight on Friday night was his inability to range to his left for a ten bouncer up the middle. Almost every SS gets to that ball including Descalso and Kozma.

Peter Bourjos, looks good roaming CF, but can’t hit a breaking ball to save his life.

Jon Jay, was a better hitter before the Cards tried to alter his hitting style.

Trevor Rosenthal, suddenly cannot top 94 on the gun, and his heater has no hop.

I never expected Ozzie, and Peralta hasn’t been terrible, but he has to get to the ball he let get by him up the middle last night. Maybe he got tangled up, although I didn’t see that, but it was disappointing.

Oh, and about those Padres, you were questioning about, yes they are a team that can play.

happytwinsfan - Apr 12, 2014 at 1:25 PM

i must like baseball as much as i do because it feeds my bi polar tendencies so well. the twins go from the depths of atrocious starting pitching to young gibson’s delivery of a one semi earned run ( having resulted from a booted double play ball) over 6.1 innings performance, which by the twin’s recent standards is koufaxesq. perhaps best of all, the young man looked to have acquired an angry edge to his approach, replacing his previous nice boy next door look. i guess i like that, but i’m not sure.

today we either continue our sojourn through the clouds or fall back into the underworld, depending on reecky. gator explained to me yesterday that he’s maddeningly erratic. here’s hoping he’s true to form today, going from atrocious to bodacious. it will be fine with me if he has an angry look to him.

One hit complete game — good Lord that was ugly. Porcello was actually not as bad as I expected. But let’s not fail to give credit to Don Kelly for his contribution to those hits. Go to RF; he won’t get it. Also, dude, the lights you are rapidly approaching are fixed. Do not attempt to run through the hologram. Thankfully, Torii should return tonight. I forgot my cap last night. I will not make that mistake again. V is on the mound! Eat ‘em up, Tigers.

The Crazy Aussie made the 9th inning interesting in yesterday’s Rays-Reds match-up. Price pitched a gem into the 9th when he gave up a 1 out opposite field 358 foot HR to off-duty Constable Votto. Cueto also pitched well, going 7 innings. Then Balfour comes in and proceeds to load the bases. Out of his 25 pitches, 10 were strikes. Somehow, he got out of it without giving up a run. I was surprisingly sanguine during the whole affair because Rodney is no longer our closer. Somehow the sight of a grown man cursing to himself on the mound is very comforting.

Matt Joyce also hit a homer that traveled over 450 feet and was about 7 rows from leaving the stadium. Here’s his current line: .423/.529/.731. If the baseball season were to only be April and May, Joyce would be awesome. Every year on Joyce can be summed up, “Joyce started out hot in April but…”

You’ve seen Balfour before in Tampa, which may be why he isn’t raging like he did in Oakland. Still, after 3 games of Mr. J. “No Longer The Closer” Johnson, the familiar bases loaded, no runs allowed Balfour 9th looks pretty good.

The King was his regal self last night, striking out the side 3 times but wearing himself out in the process and having to leave the game before completion, thus allowing his bullpen to threaten his gem. But fortunately for the Mariners, Tommy “Infinite Road ERA” Milone had provided enough cushion for the Mariners to win and take possession of 1st in the AL West.